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Checking keg carbonation

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Phunhog

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I was wondering if this would be a good way of checking how my carbing is going in the keg without actually pulling some beer off. I just hook up the gas at the right psi/temp for CO2 volumes, if I hear gas going in then it isn't carbed enough. If I can't hear anything then it should be carbed. Assuming of course that I don't have any leaks. How does that sound? Thanks. Al
 
It doesn't exactly work that way. CO2 is absorbed slowly over time, and absorbs a different amount at different temps and pressures, so there's no way to go by the sound of gas entering the keg accurately. I mean, I just hit a keg with gas tonight and I bet I could turn it off, let it sit for the night and open the valve again in the morning and it would make little, if any noise. That doesn't mean it's carbed.

IMO, just start with sound carbing practices and then sacrifice a few ounces once it's getting close to see how it's coming along. Anything else is guesswork.
 
I like to test the beer as it's carbonating because you get to truely understand how the change in the carbonation begins to change the flavor. Sometimes the suggested carbonation for a beer doesen't taste as well and I'll tone the carbonation down a few PSI when it tasted better.
 
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